Car-coupling



(No Model.)

W. H. HUGHES. l

GAR GOUPLING. No. 341,010. o Patented May 4, 1886.

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l i 551i fil/191,116@ *we UNITED STATES PATENT vEEIci-..

`\VILLIAM HOVARD HUGHES, OF RUSHVILLE, ILLINOIS.

cAR-oouPLlNG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 341,010, dated May 4, 1886.

Application file d February 24, 1886. Serial No. 193,062.

To @ZZ whom it 71mg/ concern:

Be it known that I, VILLIAM HOWARD HUGHES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Itushville, in the county of Schuyler and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplings, of whichthe following is a specication, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to car-couplings, and has 'for its object to provide a coupling Whereby the necessity of brakemen passing between moving cars for the purpose of coupling or uncoupling the same is avoided; and to this end it consists in the combination and arrangement of the several parts for service, substantially as hereinafter described, and speciiicall y pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l represents an end elevation of a car provided with my improvements. Fig.2isaside viewthereof. Fig.3is a sectional View through the draw-head, showing the pin set for coupling. Fig. 4L is a detailed perspective View of my improved coupling-link, and Fig. 5 is a detail view.

Referring to the drawings, in which similar letters of reference designate similar parts, A designates the draw-head, of the usual wellknown construction, and B the coupling-pin, having a shoulder or projection, b, formed near its lower end, so that when the pin is in its coupled position in the draw-head A it rest-s on the upper surface thereof. The upper end of the pin Bis provided with a rod, cord or rope, as shown at b', and this rod or cord extends upwardly to the top of the car-body through guides or loops c, secured to the front end ofthe car in alignment with the pin-openings in the draw-head A.

D designates a trip lever or latch, which is pivotcd at cl in the bifurcated outer end of an arm or support, E, which projects from and is secured to the forward end of the car-body. rIhe upper end, d', of the trip lever or latch D projects laterally, and it rests or bearsagainst the body of the pin B, against which the latcharm is held with considerable force bya spiral or other form of spring, F, that extends from the car-body to and is connected with the latch D above its pivotal point d. The spiral spring is held in place on and permanently secured to the car-body by means of a plate,

(No model.)

f, which rests iirmly against the body, and the plate and spring are secured in place by a bolt, f, that passes through the coils of the spring and plate into the car-body.

The lower end of the trip lever or latch D projects downward to a point below the drawhead A, and is normally held extended beyond the front face of the draw-head, so as to be in the path of movement of a forwardly-extending arm or trip, G, which is secured near one edge or formed with the draw-head of an approaching car.

.I designates alink, which comprises the side and end hars, jj, of the ordinary form, and to the side bars of this link is secured fiat leafsprings K K. The springs K are secured to one of the side bars of the link near one end, at their upper face, and the springs K are secured to the ends of the other side bar of the link on the lower side thereof. Two of these springs at one end of the link bear against the walls of the draw-head inwhich the link is fitted, so that the free end of the link is prevented dropping down, and thus obviate the danger of the link not entering the draw-head of the approaching car.

The operation of my device is as follows: Two cars being coupled together, and it being desirable to uncouple them, the pin B is raised from the roof of the car-body by drawing on the rod or cord b until its shoulder or projection Z passes above and rests upon the laterally-projecting retaining-arm d of the latch D, which will, by reason of the spring E, pass below said shoulder b and thus hold the pin in an elevated position. In coupling cars the retaining-arm of the trip lever or latch holds the pin B elevated, and when the drawheads come together the arm G will strike the free end of the trip-lever or latch D and draw the arm d'away from the shoulder on the coupling-pi1i,which will then fall by gravity and engage the link, the coupling of the cars being thus performed automatically. j

Modifications in detail of construction may be made in the herein-described invention without departing from the spirit or sacrifie` ing the advantages thereof-as, for instance, the lower end of the latch D may be provided with a laterally-projecting weighted arm, for the purpose of holding its upper arm, d', in

IOO

Contact with the couplingpin B, herein described.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim- 5 1. In a car-coupling, and in combination with the draw-head A and coupling-pin B,

having a shoulder or projection, b, and the guides c, with the trip lever or latch D, pivoted in a support or arm, E, and provided with Io laterally-projccting upper end, and a spring,

F, for normally holding one end of the triplever in the path of an approaching drawhead, substantially as described.

k2. In a car-coupling, a latch, D, pivotcd in 

